The responsible consumer still suffers from an overly negative image
At a time when the President of the Republic himself is mentioning the concept of frugality for the first time, let’s take a moment to consider what the emphasis on this term—which is not particularly appealing to consumers—might mean.
Gilles Séré de Lanauze, University of Montpellier and Jeanne Lallement, University of La Rochelle
AdobeStock_322322645 © nito – stock.adobe.com
This issue is well known to responsible consumers, who are surprised to find that while many talk the talk, few walk the walk. It is also well known to researchers who are desperately trying to understand this gap between attitudes and behaviors when it comes to responsible consumption.
Now that this rather unappealing term—"sobriety"—has been introduced, championed, and promoted at the highest levels of government, will we finally see the image of the responsible consumer evolve? Indeed, while the concept of responsibility is generally presented as positive, what about that of the responsible consumer? How is this image conveyed by the media and advertising? Do we, deep down, as consumers, actually want to be responsible consumers?
Couldn’t we hypothesize that the very image of the responsible consumer—an image that, when you think about it, might not be all that positive—partly explains the gap between attitudes and behaviors—the famous “do as I say, not as I do”—when it comes to responsible consumption?
A responsible consumer isn't exactly "sexy"
The results of a consumer survey we conducted on their perception of a responsible consumer revealed several negative archetypes of the responsible consumer.
Based on an in-depth analysis of the respondents’ comments, four unflattering metaphors shed light on the latent images associated with the responsible consumer. He or she is seen as either a fundamentalist, a hermit, a killjoy, or even a snob.
- The fundamentalist (or ayatollah) embodies the mindset of a conscientious consumer who is in constant conflict with the rest of society and tends toward excess and intransigence.
- The hermit is a second image often invoked—that of a responsible consumer who has broken away from society, isolated and marginalized, often living in deprivation and longing for the past, for the steam engine.
- A killjoy is a sad, overly serious person who is always focused on duty rather than fun and tends to be preachy.
- Finally, on the other hand, the responsible consumer can also be seen as a snob; in this case, they are perceived as a “bobo”—haughty, superior, susceptible to media influences and fashion trends, and, moreover, financially able to indulge in them.
An analysis of these various negative archetypes of the responsible consumer reveals just as many barriers to adopting responsible consumption behaviors. Specifically, we identify an integration barrier linked to the fear of conflict stemming from a stance perceived as overly dogmatic or “extreme”; a desirability barrier associated with this other form of marginality linked to the hermit and the rejection of modernity; and a hedonism barrier, as seen in the killjoy, who is incapable of spontaneous pleasure and rationalizes every consumption decision. Finally, the responsible “bobo” consumer is associated with a barrier to identification and the rejection of an elitist and condescending stance.
All too often, we encounter these stereotypes—promoted and perpetuated by advertising—of a responsible consumer who isn’t very “sexy.”
Several types of negative perceptions
In a subsequent step, another study we published sought to determine to what extent these archetypes could actually help explain intentions and behaviors related to responsible consumption. The study, conducted with a sample of 363 individuals, analyzed respondents’ reactions to a message encouraging them to follow a recommendation made by a responsible consumer.
Initially, statistical analyses clearly identified three types of negative perceptions, depending on whether they concerned one’s relationship with oneself (risk of losing desirability according to commonly accepted criteria of beauty or youth), one’s relationship with others (risk of losing social integration due to how others perceive one), or one’s relationship with modernity (risk of being out of step with the present and modernity).
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The study then showed that while perceptions of the responsible consumer remained positive (overall, respondents did not openly criticize the responsible consumer who urged them to behave responsibly), the associated negative perceptions undermined their intentions to behave responsibly.
Furthermore, the study shows that the perception of oneself as a responsible consumer moderates the observed effect. For consumers who, on average, describe themselves as less responsible than others, any shortcoming associated with being a responsible consumer—whether a lack of sociability, desirability, or modernity—is likely to negatively impact their behavioral intentions. Whereas for consumers who report being more responsible on average than the rest of the sample, only the lack of modernity can still negatively influence their intentions. They are likely the first to suffer from the lack of modernity associated with the image of the responsible consumer…
Liability Orders
The pressure from current events is having an ever-greater impact on our behavior. The health crisis, followed by recent manifestations of the climate crisis, and finally the crisis in purchasing power—all against a backdrop of energy shortages and inflation—are all contributing to a growing call for more responsible consumption.
While there is a chance that these crises will lead to a gradual narrowing of the gap between attitudes and behaviors regarding responsible consumption, it will also be interesting to see what impact this will have on the perceived image of the responsible consumer.
To what extent will it become glamorous, a symbol of social interaction, and modern all at once in the immediate future? Above all, to what extent will we need such positive role models to guide us through the transitions ahead?
Gilles Séré de Lanauze, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Montpellier and Jeanne Lallement, University Professor (Marketing), La Rochelle University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Readthe original article.